Angry Birds goes free for iDevices, now App of the Week in iTunes store and once again top of the charts

To absolutely no fanfare whatsoever, Rovio has flung its wildly popular (is it really still popular?) birds ‘n’ pigs game into the free section of the iTunes store, meaning that if up to now you’ve been getting by with the Lite version – saving yourself a whole buck in the process – you can now treat yourself to the bells-and-whistles alternative for the princely sum of nothing.

iPad owners who’ve held out can feel even more smug – you’ll have saved yourself a whole $2.99.

But wait, Rovio could be on to something here. The game does, after all, offer a number of in-app purchases, so the Finland-based company could still rake in plenty of cash as a whole new bunch of players succumb to its addictive delights. Even recovering Angry-Birdaholics may be tempted to once again tap on the app and dig into their pockets, as 15 new levels have been added. Yes, fifteen!

Rovio made no mention on its site, or anywhere for that matter, of its intention to no longer charge for the original Angry Birds game, and there’s no word on whether it’s just a temporary deal or if it’ll remain free for evermore.

On top of the price cut, the iTunes store has named the mobile bird-based game as its App of the Week – as if it really needs the publicity – and as a consequence of this double whammy, the game finds itself once again at the top of the iOS app charts. Way to go, Rovio!

The ridiculously popular Angry Birds first arrived on iDevices in 2009 and quickly proved a big hit, with millions and millions of downloads across multiple platforms since launch, and a slew of other version hitting the market over the years.

And, unless you’ve been living on another planet among a community of green pigs, you’ll be well aware that Angry Birds is now so much more than just a game – it’s a movie, it’s a TV series, it’s a soft toy, it’s a book, it’s a towel, it’s a lunch box, it’s a theme park, it’s a T-shirt, it’s a card game, it’s a phenomenon that’s clearly starting to do my head in.